


Commilito

by madasthesea



Series: Fure [5]
Category: The Queen's Thief - Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Gen, pre-King of Attolia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 13:10:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4480370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madasthesea/pseuds/madasthesea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Aris and Costis train, hit each other with sticks, and mock the new king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Commilito

“Don’t drop your guard in third,” Aris panted. Costis nodded, wiping sweat out of his eyes.

“Again.”

They ran the drill again, wooden swords heavy in their hands, the morning sun unforgiving in its heat.

Aris slapped Costis’ thigh with the flat of his blade. Costis winced, growled, then lunged sloppily. Aris blocked, laughing as he back-peddled out of Costis’ reach. Following, he attempted an overhead slash that Aris only just managed to parry. They disengaged, both gasping and sweaty.

“Your temper will be your undoing, my friend,” Aris said as they both retreated to the shade for a small break.

“And your lack of control will be yours,” Costis snapped, feigning more annoyance than he felt. Aris laughed again, settling himself on the steps of the courtyard.

There was a commotion on the other side of the sunbaked training ground, and they both dropped their conversation in order to turn and watch as the king stroll among the soldiers, his various attendants and guards scurrying after him.

Costis scoffed, turning away from the extravagance of the new king with a roll of his eyes. Aris watched, squinting against the sun as Eugenides stopped to speak briefly with Teleus. The Captain of the Guard was scowling so severely it was visible across the courtyard.

“Aren’t you glad _you_ don’t have to talk to him?” Aris teased, well aware of Costis’ distaste for the king. He was fairly impassive about the goat-foot himself, though he thought the pranks that his attendants and the kitchen staff played were fairly humorous.

“Beyond glad,” Costis muttered. “He’s so…. Incompetent.”

“Well, unless something drastic happens, you shouldn’t have to worry about him even knowing your name,” Aris assured him.

Costis laughed, stepped out into the sun and hauled Aris back to his feet. “Come on, let’s run through it again.”

“Don’t drop your guard in third.” 


End file.
